John a



J. A. WOLFER.

Ice Elevator. A

' Patentd Dec. 22,' 1868.

Wz'lwesses N- PETERS, F R, WASHINGTON, D. (l

timed. W

; J n ssa --JOHN A, o rERQoF RONDOUT, NEWYORK.

Letters Patent'No. 85,156, dated December 22, 1868.

AUTOMATIC ICE-CHUTE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.-

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J OHN A. Wonrnn, of Rondout, in the county of Ulster, and State of N ew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automatic Ice-Chute; and I do hereby declare that the following is a-full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. I

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in the method of handling ice in the process of transferring it from the ice-house to barges or vessels, for transportation and It consists in the use of a selt-actlng chute, constructed and operating as hereinafter des(.*-ribed, whereby much time and labor are saved.

In the accompanying plate of drawings Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the apparatus through the line a: a; ofifig. 2. I

Figure 2 is a top 'or plan view.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A representsthe side or hull of a barge or other vessel to which it is desired to transfer the ice.

B is the chute, the lower end of which is supposed (as seen in the drawing) to rest on the bottom of the barge, but which may be elevated, from time to time, as the barge is filled.

This chute or run-way B is made'of two wood or metallic'sides,.0,with transverse pieces or rails, (1, upon which are placed the slats 0, upon which the blocks of ice slide.

F F represent curved guide-rods, of iron or other metal, which are attachcd, at their top and bottom ends, to the sides of the chute, seen in the drawing.

A block ofi'ce, represented by g, 'is seen just entering the chute.

H is a transverse bar, which slides on the guides F 1*.

This bar is attached, by the ropeor chann l, to the chain (or other variable weight) J, by the. hooks K K.

Therope or chain 1 passes over a pulley, L, and takes hold of the chain J, as seen inthe drawing.

Now,.if the block of ice g (whichrests against the bar H, seen) is started on the chute, it, of course, must carry down the bar with it; but, while its motion increases, (or has a tendency to increase, by its own grayity,,'thc rope is picking up the chain .hthc weight 0f which counterbalances, to a greater or less extent, -the weight of the block of ice, so that the block is made to descend gradually down file chute, until tln barH is raised from the blockof ice by the curve in the guides, as seen in the drawing at m When the bar is thus released, the block of ice descends the balance of the distance by its own'gravity, and shoots on" far over the layer of ice upon which the bottom end of the chute rests as may be desired. The guides F may be curved, so as to release the bar from the ice, at any desired point, and may be made adjustable; or the bar may be made adjustable, to suit the angle on which the chute is placed, so as to give the liberated block of ice'only the necessary or desired velocity.

As soonas the bar is raised from the ige, (as seen in the drawing,) the chain J descends, and draws up the bar to its former position, thus rendering the. action entirely automatic.

This lowering of the ice-blocks into barges orvessels has hitherto-been done by tackle-blocks and grapplingirons, (or ice-tongs,) with the assistance of three men, onefor grappling, one for lowering, and one for ungrappling down in the hold of the barge By my arrangement, there is no grappling or ungrappling, and the lowering is doneby the chain J or other variable weight, operating upon the self-adj ustin g bar H. In lowering ice by the old method, the grapples frequently slip off the block,.-which, of course, falls, and

is broken, and rendered useless for shipment.

By the use of my chute, such occurrences are impossible.

The ice is handled with perfect safety from breaking,-

and much more rapidly than. it can be by ha nd, besides saving the labor of three men in the operation, as before stated.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The chute B, provided with guide-rods F,(or'

their equivalent) so'arrangcd i-hat blocks of ice may be lowered thereon by a variable weight orchain, J, in combination with a bar, H, and chain or rope, I, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

2. In con'i'biuation with an ice-chute, the bar H, rope. or chain I, and variable weight'or chain J, operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 30th day of October, 1868.

m0. A. woLrnR.

\Vituesses FRANK Bnocnnnr, ALEX. F. Ronnn'rs. 

